Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-- The Skidmore College men's lacrosse team gave third-ranked Middlebury all it could handle before losing 18-15 in a non-league game Tuesday at Wachenheim Field. The Thoroughbreds are 6-5, while the Panthers have won nine straight to go 10-1.

The game was tied 5-5 at the end of the first quarter and Skidmore led 9-8 before Middlebury's Tom Petty scored with three seconds to go in the second to tie it 9-9 at the break.

Petty's goal would be the first of eight straight for the Panthers who built a 16-9 lead before Skidmore's Ben Cornell scored with 11:42 to play in the fourth quarter to end the run. Middlebury scored the next two to open it back up to 18-9.

The Thoroughbreds would then mount a comeback, scoring three goals in 23 seconds and five goals in 2:18 to get within three 18-15 with 2:15 to play. The Panthers were able to hold on for the three-goal win.

Matt Levesque started the late run, scoring from Cornell at 4:33. The Thoroughbreds won the faceoff and Cornell scored from Nick Coppola at 4:17. Levesque scored off the faceoff from Coppola at 4:10. Coppola then made it 18-14 from Cory Barkoff at 2:25 and Levesque found Rob Lutin alone in front at 2:15 for the 18-15 final.

Levesque finished with six goals and three assists. Cornell had four goals and one assist, Coppola two goals and five assists, and Barkoff had four assists and eight ground balls. Defender Scott Grillo had eight ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Mike Stone led Middlebury with a career-high seven goals, including three in the Panther's 8-0 run. Skyler Hopkins scored three goals and had three assists and Petty finished with three goals and an assist. Dave Campbell won 22 of 35 faceoffs and had 12 groundballs.